The Chronicles of Unrequited Love
by Komatsu NaNa
Summary: The Organization has gotten their hearts back. But now, a love rectangle is formed as VIII, VI and XI go after the one who was once known as Larxene, number XII. But who does she truly love?
1. Spiritual Awakening

Chronicles of Unrequited Love

_Chapter the First: Spiritual Awakening_

**Author's Note**: This is my first fanfic, and helpful reviews are appreciated. No flamers please! Thank you very much. Enjoy!

"Why do I suddenly feel this way about…him? We Nobodies have no feelings…"

She shook her head, as the memory of drifted back into her mind, breaking through her barrier of thoughts.

"I'm human again. And I have…to remember, and get use to it."

Clenching her fists in determination, she stood up and took a good look of herself in the mirror, standing at different angles to get a better view of slim and petite frame. The young woman wore a tight and slinky black dress with sparkly sequins sewn at the hem that accentuated her curves and a dark pink cardigan over it, along with a pair of faded jeans and stilettos. Her once antennae-like blonde hair had turned back to its original form; long and voluminous wavy golden hair that flowed down her shoulders in glistening curls. Large electric blue eyes peered out from the long fringe that cascaded over them, giving her a rather mystical aura.

"I'm going to be late if I don't hurry."

The young woman's appellation, was Relena, once a former member of the Organization XIII, an infamous group of Nobodies that plotted to take over the world with a common goal in mind; to complete Kingdom Hearts and retrieve their hearts back. Now that it had been concluded as an episode, with the Keyblade Wielder's help and a treaty, they had returned to their original forms, and the worlds began to intertwine with each other, finally creating the earth, a complete world where everyone lived in peace and harmony.

Music blasted from the earphones of her lime green iPod Nano as she stalked through the streets of East Ikebukuro, mind full of music. It was fairly noisy, considering that the city she lived in was filled with night life. Upon reaching a club, she showed the bouncer the blue bracelet on her wrist and he allowed her entry. Relena stuffed the plastic bracelet into her pocket with a look of disgust and peeled the earphones off.

She could feel the adrenaline pump faster and faster inside her as the loud techno music reverberated in the stale air. Clutching her handbag, Relena made her way down the steps and entered the dance floor, looking around. After several moments of searching, she caught a glimpse of him; Lea, her date. A mischievous look lit her face up as she sneaked up behind the auburn-haired man and grabbed his neck with both hands. The young man smirked and turned around, staring into her beautiful sapphire eyes

"You finally made it. I thought you wouldn't be coming."

Relena sat down besides him and ordered a tequila, wanting to feel the liquid seep down her throat after an exhausting walk from her penthouse. He gazed at her, eyes reflecting emotions that he was unable to bear until several weeks ago. Lea; he was once Organization Member VIII, the pyro that hid the mask of a double agent. His hair was still as spiky as ever, but the teardrop-shaped tattoos had disappeared during his transformation. Lea was dressed in the usual attire of men that you see on the streets of Tokyo; a white long-sleeved shirt (half-buttoned) with a jacket over it and a simple pair of black pants to match.

Relena turned to look at him, face glowing from the overhead lamp that hung over her, giving her golden hair a silver tinge. "Hmm, may I help you?" she teased.

"There's not much that you can help me with, dear Relena. I just wanted to tell you how beautiful you look tonight." Lea commented with a grin.

She flushed, unable to hide the redness from her face. Relena resorted to glancing down at her shoes, avoiding his pupils that darted from her face, to the ground.

"Relena, have you been to the beach recently? I heard that the renovations are complete. Do you, want to take a short ride past there?" he queried.

She glanced up from her shoes and looked him in the eye," Of course."

Within the next few minutes, Relena was seated in Lea's Sports Utility Vehicle, enjoying the midnight breeze as it brushed against her locks. She had never felt so happy in her entire life. Lea turned and gave her a smile, eyes dancing as if fiery orbs reflected in their smooth surface.

"Screech."

The car came to a halt. There they were, looking out at nature. The sound of waves crashing on the shore came to her ears, and seagulls cawing loudly in the night. The ocean was a blanket of darkness, creasing every few moments with glittering waves that shimmered under the full moon that hovered above Tokyo city.

"It's beautiful." Relena awed.

Just then, Lea unbuckled his safety belt and leaned closer to her. "Relena…"

She snapped out of her reverie and turned around, meeting him face to face.

"I love you."

He placed a hand on her cheek, enjoying the touch of her soft and creamy skin. Relena froze in her seat, wondering what he would do next.

"…May I kiss you?"

She had always treated him as a good friend and confidante, and also, boyfriend. They had never kissed, and this was going to be her first," At least he bothers to ask for my permission first."

At her slight nod, he moved in. Relena felt his hands entangle themselves in her silky hair as his lips slowly came towards hers. She closed her eyes, preparing to savor the wonderful moment that she had been waiting for all this time…


	2. Her Life

**Chapter 2: Her Life**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts II, though I wish I did.

**Author's note: **This chapter explains her life after Kingdom Hearts is complete. Her job and everything else. Hope you enjoy! R & R if you think it's good. Please, no flamers as it's my first shot at a fanfic.

"Rrrrrring!"

The young woman dragged the other side of her pillow and turned to the left, shielding her ears from the annoying shrill of the morning alarm. Her eyebrows were knitted in frustration as she tried to concentrate on the dream she was weaving.

"Rrrrring!"

It carried on with its relentless ringing. Relena, drowsy and with a clouded mind, snatched the wine glass up from her bedside table and threw it at the digital alarm clock, which amazingly reached its target and the clock fell to the carpeted ground, ringing quietly till its battery ran dead.

She tossed and turned around for the next few minutes, unable to get back to her dream after the alarm jerked her out of it. Cursing under her breath, she dragged herself out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Relena felt sick in her stomach, probably because she had a tad too much wine the previous night. She was having the worst hangover of her life. Grabbing at her rinsing mug near the sink, Relena gazed at her own reflection in the mirror with a blurry vision. With much effort, she managed to get past dressing up and getting to her workplace, which was none other than Apple, the world-famous company that produces and creates laptops, desktops and the most-wanted mp3 players, the iPod Series.

It was the peak hour for most to hurry off to work, and Japanese, those with the mindset of," I cannot be late," , would not stop for anything. Pushing through the crowd while feeling dizzy and nauseous was not fun for twenty-one year-old Relena. At times, she just felt like throwing up, but nothing came after that.

" ' Shouldn't have taken too much last night…" she grumbled, stumbling over someone's brown loafer without apologizing. Boy, was this one of the most horrible days ever.

"Swish."

The sliding doors slid open at the detection of movement near it. Relena entered, slipping the lanyard over her neck; there hung a tag which bore her name in Japanese, and in English. Her hair was tied up in a simple ponytail, to keep it from getting in her way while introducing products to customers. It was torture, to have to answer all of their questions and resolve their doubts, to eventually get them to purchase the Apple product. Relena was able to earn much, to make ends meet for her.

A dark-haired lady with the tag around her neck saying 'Sherilyn, Manager', stalked up to her with hands on her incredibly thick waist and wagged her index finger at Relena. She groaned to herself, knowing what was coming up next.

"Ah, you're here. You can start by arranging all the newest iPod Nanos up on the tables there neatly. Yes, fix them into the speakers and switch them on. Don't forget to connect the wires in to the power chord hidden at the bottom chamber of the tables. Then put these price tags and information into the slots-" she handed Relena a stack of A5 size papers," – for the customers. Help Ienzo switch the laptops and desktops on after that and switch them to the Administrator mode. Leave it at the main page so customers can browse through the computer, but lock all other pages except for the-"

"Okay, I get it. Now can I go?" Relena huffed irritably and hurried off to the back of the room, leaving a stunned Sherilyn standing outside with her finger still in the air. Her other employees sniggered, but continued with their work in discreet when the Manager shot them a death glare that meant nothing but the risk of their jobs.

Relena sighed and plopped down on a chair besides a lilac-haired man, who seemed to be tweaking with an Apple laptop with a screwdriver. His hair concealed half his face, therefore only revealing a single glaring eye that had the unique shade of grayish-blue, like the aftermath of a storm at sea. Dressed in the strict dress code of a black polo shirt and jeans, Ienzo, as he was called, had decided to rebel against the exasperating Sherilyn. Everyone in the Ginza District branch had hated her, just as much as he did.

"Instructions?" he murmured, not looking up from the laptop as he unscrewed the top to reveal the batteries that lay smoking with an acrid smell.

"Yeah. Hey, what's with that?" Relena questioned, gesturing to the batteries.

"The 'Fat Moron' got to us again. Took her anger out on us by smashing this piece of junk."

She burst out with laughter, as Ienzo glanced at her with slight casualness.

"What's so funny?  
"It's just…You guys give her so many names! First it was 'Bowling Ball', and now it's 'Fat Moron."

Relena went over to the table and retrieved several batteries from it and tossed it over to Ienzo, who caught it with skill and plunged it into the laptop, screwing the top back on.

"Done. Let's bring these insignificant objects out of my sight before I die from their pure stupidity." He said sarcastically.

"You haven't changed since we got our hearts back, Ienzo." Relena commented, stacking four laptops in her arms and walking out of the room with them, coming back for more after she was done setting them up.

"Morning, welcome to the Apple Store!"

Relena greeted customers with a false cheeriness in her voice and a twisted smile. It had been some time since she smiled, and she was having difficulty trying to be natural at this. Larxene, always smirked, not smile. The customer nodded back in return, and went to take a look at the iPods, who seemed to have already drawn quite a crowd.

"Morning, welcome to-"

It was then Relena felt as if her heart stopped. There he was, Lea, the man of her dreams. It was him, that she fantasized about the previous night. He had taken her out on a date and nearly kissed her when her darn alarm clock rang.

"What a beautiful dream…" she recalled, nearly swooning as he cast a glance over at her. His auburn spiky hair hadn't changed since the day they first met in the Organization. But the tattoos had disappeared. He looked rather odd without them, but Relena could live with it. As long as he was hers, everything was going to be fine.

Even if the 'Fat Moron' came and….

"Relena! I did not pay you to daydream! Get on with your work!" the loud and snappy voice broke into her thoughts. Ienzo, who was in the middle of a conversation with a customer, gave her a look of sympathy.

Lea went off to look at the mp3 players, not paying much attention to her. Relena's heart sank. Why wouldn't he even talk to her? She got along well with him when they were still Nobodies. What was the problem between them? Did he like her or not?

She wanted an answer to her last question. And she wanted it right this very moment, but she knew that the answer would be a straight no. Sighing to herself, she continued with her work without any zest.


	3. Marusha

**Chapter 3: Marusha**

**Author's Note: **I decided to use Marluxia's Japanese name as Lumaria nor Maluria (sounds like Malaria) doesn't sound as appealing as his Nobody name. Sorry if this chapter sounds a little, strange. I'm running out of muse, due to the fact that I'm typing in unearthly hours. –yawn- Well, R & R!

"Should I give her a flower? Or maybe, I can ask her out on a date…But we've lost contact ever since! No, but I see her at work every Saturday…I can't just ask her like that! It's-"

"Excuse me? May I have that bouquet of white orchids in the display case?" a soft voice queried.

It snapped twenty-two year-old Marusha out of his reverie and retrieve the bouquet for his customer. She paid him a total of two thousand and three hundred Yen. The satisfied customer left, with her high heels clacking on the ground noisily before fading away gradually. Marusha, who was once Marluxia, Organization Member XI, the Graceful Assassin. Now that he had his heart back, it was probably the best time to confess his love to Relena. Back when they were still Nobodies, he got along well with her. But he couldn't understand why she didn't even bother to look at him whenever he stopped by at the Apple store to 'take a look' at things. When he was around, Lea was too. But that didn't signify anything, right?

Marusha wrung his hands in frustration. Why couldn't he get Relena to love him? Afterall, it was a one-sided love, and such things normally don't last long. After so much that they've gone through, couldn't she reciprocate? Marusha brushed a strand of brunette fringe aside, his hair still in the same style. But it had changed back to its original golden brown. Working as a part-time worker in a florist here in East Ikebukuro had many advantages. First, he adored flowers and loved to grow and cultivate them. Secondly, he had many customers as it was nearing Valentine's Day. And last of all, he could see Relena at least four times a day. It was good enough that he could at least take a look at her without her knowing it, or she might think he was spying on her.

He stared up at the sky, directly at the sun as it was already setting in a beautiful horizon, a conflagration of evening colors; violet, orange, red and yellow. The star was now a fiery orb floating in a distance as the sky grew darker, a full moon taking its place along with its glittering minions that shone brightly in the dark sky that blanketed over Tokyo City.

Marusha left the store when his shift was over, tossing the horrible apron aside on a chair, grabbing his bag pack and heading for home. He took out a black iPod Nano from his bag and stuffed the earphones in. He had been forced to buy that when the idiot, none other than the Manager, Sherilyn, shouted at him for not buying anything after keeping a track record of coming in every weekend at approximately 5pm and leaving a exactly 5.04pm without taking a single look, except for occasional glances at the entrance, where Relena stood most of the time.

"Romance no kamisama…"

The music blasted in his ears as he plodded home, heaving his bag pack up over his shoulder. Marusha wore a simple outfit of a white long sleeved shirt with jeans and a leather belt. A figure swept past him, a blur of golden left a familiar imprint in his mind. Snapping around, he realized that it was Relena. She seemed to be in a mad rush, and it would certainly be a bad time to ask her that question. Marusha shook his head sadly, turned around and continued on his journey.


	4. One Problem Down

**Chapter 4: One Problem Down**

**Author's Note: **This chapter depicts how her ex-manager became the villain in the end. –hinthint- Anyway, enjoy! R & R.

"Rrrring! Rrrring!"

"Hello, welcome to the Apple Store. Ah, yes, Mr. Kanzaki. Do you wish to speak to the Fat Mor- I mean, your wife?" Ienzo cleared his throat, turning around to look at the Manager who seemed to be busy shouting at customers to force them to buy items. "Alright, Mr. Kanzaki. Thank you, and I bid you goodnight." He put the phone down, smirking. Boy, was Sherilyn going to have it tough.

"This is the newest product in the market. The first ever made. It has a memory space of 100 GB, has camera and video camera functions, and can store up to 5000 songs and pictures." The customers gasped in awe, as Relena introduced the item to them. The cheeriness in her voice was starting to fade off, due to the fact that she had to take on a third shift as employees had fallen ill and the moronic manager had decided to make it tough for Relena. "It's pay-back for coming late for work at least two times a week." Relena could vaguely hear her squeaky voice ring in her ears like an annoying buzz.

She gave them a smile, as Ienzo pulled her aside, grabbing her arm.

"What?"

"Let's go take a supper break." He murmured, craning his neck to look over at Sherilyn with a furtive look.

"What? You know we can't do that!" she whispered back, the lanyard around her neck tilting slightly.

"It's just for a little while. She's so plump that she'll probably only see that lumps of fat around her body to notice the two of us gone." He reassured. Relena agreed reluctantly and they left, with Sherilyn still hollering at customers, causing their eardrums to 'bleed'.

"Can we drop by the camera shop after this? I need to collect my video cam." Relena asked as they walked along the streets. It was filled with the usual crowd of men in business suits, afraid to go home due to their wives, but Relena was sure that they were much better than her Manager. Ienzo nodded as they entered Yoshinoya to grab a quick bite before returning to pack up. More than half the Ginza District Apple Store employees had fallen sick, due to Sherilyn's so-called new company rule that they must stay in the shop and can only leave if she permits them. Relena resisted the urge to quit, but she must carry on to earn an income to support herself, and if necessary, save up enough to start a family….with Lea.

Relena flushed at the thought, and Ienzo, who sat next to her, gave her a look of mild interest. "What're you blushing about?"

"Nothing! Really…" she squeaked and continued to eat her rice. They were the only ones there, due to the fact that most people had already gone home.

"Thank you."

Relena handed the store owner an amount of three thousand and five hundred Yen. He thanked her and begin to close the shop, pulling the metal grilles down with a long stick-like tool. She clutched a video camera in her hand and strolled back to the stall with Ienzo by her side, hands in his pockets as he watched life around him moving on.

"I was gonna clean my room, when I got high!"

A faint voice called out from the back room of the store. He shrugged, but armed himself with…his tie. Relena cast Ienzo a look that said 'How's-That-Supposed-To-Defend-Us'? Ienzo ignored her and stepped forward quietly. Relena followed, careful not to make the slightest noise. The next thing that she saw nearly made her jaw drop in bewilderment.

There she was; her manager. Sherilyn, was singing like a crazy lunatic, holding a wine glass below her chin as if acting like a rock star. Bottles of beer lay toppled on the ground, with several fragments of glass and a puddle of beer left. "Oh my gosh, what happened?"

"Yeah. Her husband wants a divorce." Ienzo mumbled.

"That's awful…It must have taken toll on her." She sympathized.

"Revenge of Mr. Kanzaki. He must've had enough of that idiot."

"I was gonna find my broom, when I got high!" she sang again, downing another bottle of beer with the liquid spilling all over her clothes.

"Give me your camera." Ienzo stretched a hand out to take it from her.

Relena looked confused, but gave it to him anyway. He pulled the screen open and began to film Sherilyn. It was then that she began to stumble out of the room, with the bottle of beer still in her hand.

"Now my room's messed up and I know why…"

Ienzo and Relena turned around to watch her lumber out of the back room and into the Apple Store. She was nearing the latest product that lay unkempt on the table.

"Ienzo! She's-"

Too late. Sherilyn had knocked the product off the table and it landed on the ground with a sickening crunch. Ienzo continued to film her and after that, he zoomed in on the broken item and stopped recording. "This thing is gonna get this old hag fired. Once we send it to Headquarters, we won't see that woman again." He grinned maliciously.

"Right. You've haven't changed since then." Relena thought with a jolt. Ienzo was always full of ideas, and this was about to be one that was going to change her life.


	5. To Know You

**Chapter 5: To Know You**

**Author's Note: **The evil monster of all museless creatures has struck! Rah. Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to Sundial Dreams. Thanks for all your support and encouragement when I felt emo. Happy fanfic-writing! And yes, readers, thanks for the reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well. It focuses on the relationship between Relena and Lea, and then, of course, Marusha gets jealous. The drama begins. –Le gasp- Sit back, relax.

"Zemunasu Sir, the video shows clearly that the Manager of the Apple Store at 1034-26 Hakuhokuro Avenue has broken the newest product created by our experts. We were supposed to pass it-"a female secretary dressed in a smart business suit and plait skirt was cut off as Sherilyn burst into a fit of anger.

"I didn't break that damn thing! That video must've been filming the wrong person! I've been maligned!" she wailed.

"Sherilyn. We've had enough of you. Would you please sign these papers here?" Zemunasu, the CEO asked her nicely. Sherilyn's watery eyes glared at him out of their little sockets," You can't do this to me!"

"I can and I will. Now, please, or I will refuse to hand you your salary for the year." He emphasized on the last word. Sherilyn pursed her lips in fury. The secretary stepped back, afraid that she might suddenly lunge an attack at the CEO who leaned back on his chair comfortably. She snatched the pen up from the table and scribbled an ugly signature onto the resignation form. Zemunasu handed a brown paper envelope to her and ordered," Now, leave." He dismissed her curtly and swung his chair to the back, watching from a clear glass mirror, the traffic of Tokyo City filling into his view.

"Cheers to our new manager!"

All the employees burst into merriment as they clanged wine glasses together. Since Sherilyn had been sacked, Ienzo had been appointed the rank of manager. "Hey, congratulations, manager." Relena teased.

"If I end up like that moron, you're next in line, Ms. Ikada." He joked.

"Alright, it's back to work. Let's go." Ienzo announced. Every single one of them filed out of the room and back into the store. Relena took her position near the second generation iPod Nanos as customers rushed in with enthusiasm.

"Hi, can you help me with this?" a customer questioned.

Relena explained the different functions of the iPod. Her electric blue eyes seemed to glance over at the entrance ever few seconds. It seemed like it had a mind of their own.

Her world stopped. Everything around her halted in their tracks. He waltzed in, eyes surveying the shop. She could hear every single step and each breath he took. That mesmerizing eyes of his and the hair, it must've taken hours to keep it in place with that amount of gel. The only people who seemed to notice her acting that way was her customer, and Ienzo. Then, Lea turned, and stared straight at her.

Relena immediately came back down to earth and continued to explain to the customer. But her mind was still wandering. "He looks so cute in that…" she murmured, swooning. Unbeknownst to her, the customer had already left. Relena wanted to hit herself for missing that opportunity to make a commission.

"Hey, we've met before, right?"

The voice that she had been dying to listen to rang in her ears like a sweet melody. "Okay, don't blow this. It's just a conversation. Just a conversation." She assured herself. "We have. Remember Organization XIII?" Relena replied.

"Yeah. Savage Nymph." He joked.

Relena blushed several shades of pink and tilted her head slightly to the left. Lea chuckled and grinned at her, revealing two straight rows of sparkling white teeth.

"Just wondering, would you like to…hang out during your break? Haven't had time to speak to you since you-know-what was complete."

At that very moment, a young man with layered brunette hair entered, scanning the area as if looking for something. He spotted Relena, who of course, was too interested in Lea to notice him. Marusha gritted his teeth in envy. Lea had always stolen the spotlight from him, and he was going to take it back. Clenching his fists in determination, he stalked up to Relena with a smile on his face.

"Hi, could you tell me more about this iPod Nano?" Marusha questioned, eyes shooting daggers at Lea. He merely grinned at him mischievously, just as he always did.

"…Huh?" Relena looked straight at Marusha. "Great, he had to spoil this moment that I have with him. Lea was just about to ask me out!" she felt rather disgruntled.

"So, will you?" Lea touched her gently on the shoulder. Relena just wanted to melt into his arms and fade away into the night. ,"Of cour-"

"I'm asking a question here." Marusha quickly stubbed Lea's toe with his shoe as he elicited a loud yelp from the sudden pain that he caused.

"Can I come back to you later?" Relena replied, not looking at Marusha, thinking that he was just a regular customer. "Sure."

Lea was still gasping from the pain, but regained her composure when she answered," I'll come back here at seven." His eyes twinkled. "Alright. But it's best I get back to work now." Relena gave him a sweet smile and turned around, walking back. "Yes!" she cheered excitedly.

Lea jerked his loafer from Marusha's shoes and gave him a dirty look before leaving the store. "I've failed to ask her out again…" he sighed in defeat. I'm always the one rejected. Why won't she love me? Several employees greeted him goodbye as he left, crestfallen.

A strange sensation emerged from Ienzo's inner soul. He felt something…weird. Why is this happening? I don't even like her at all. We're _just friends. _That's it. _Just friends._ Ienzo took a deep breath to calm himself down. But he still couldn't feeling that way whenever Lea showed up and began to converse with Relena. I'm _not jealous. I don't envy him._

Before he knew it, his feet somehow made their way towards Relena. "You're not to leave the shop, Relena. You know the rules well." Ienzo said sternly. Her heart sank. Why did he suddenly become so fierce with her? Was he channeling the spirit of his predecessor? Afterall, that rule had never existed. The moron made it up herself. "The rules have changed. So why can't I go out?" Relena insisted.

"You just can't."

"That's not a reason!"

"Fine. I see it that way. In that case, you'll have to go out with me."

"It doesn't make any sense at all, Ienzo. If I can't go out with Lea, why must I go with _you?_"

Relena emphasized on the last word, causing Ienzo to glare at her with his visible eye.

"It's either that or you stay and work for an extra shift."

And with that, Ienzo shuffled away, leaving a stunned Relena standing there.


	6. Conflict

**Chapter 6: Conflict**

**Author's Note: **So sorry to everyone! This is the sixth chapter! I'm coming up with the seventh one soon enough. Sorry once again! And lots, and lots of thanks to Emi-san ( aka Sundial Dreams although she might change her pen name some time.) for helping with this chapter! Aishite'ru! . 

Relena had decided to sneak out of the store at six thirty in order to go out with Lea. She didn't want to even think about what Ienzo had said earlier. As far as she knew, he was a friendly, kindly colleague who had changed since he was promoted to the position of manager. She just hoped he would come to his senses. Waiting outside the store, she clutched her bag nervously as the minutes ticked by. People came and went, bustling by on their daily routines, obviously not noticing the anxious woman standing by the side of the road. Ienzo could come out any moment now. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she saw a black SUV pull up in front of her, and in its drivers' seat, the familiar redhead with his familiar grin. Lea waved at her. "Hop in, Larx!" he called. Relena grinned back. "Oh how long has it been since I abandoned that name." She said, channeling Xemnas for the fun of it. As she opened the door to the passenger's seat and sat herself next to Lea, she felt a bead of sweat run down her face as she lowered her head, rather embarassed, and started to stare at her shoes. "Why so tense, Larx?" Lea asked, giving her a friendly punch on the shoulder. "Oh, it's nothing." Relena replied quickly, letting loose a nervous chuckle. No one noticed the new manager watching from the entrance of the Apple Store.

xxxxxxxxxx

Ienzo clenched his fists, his visible eye glazing over with a layer of utmost hatred. He did not know why he felt this way, but only one thing was clear. Relena had defied him. He could not help now but to stare in utter contempt as Lea and his date drove away for the evening. Storming back into the store, the others stared at the once soft-spoken worker, now changed completely. He glared at them. "What are you miserable people staring at? Get back to work or I shall be forced to lower your salary!" Slamming his office door behind him, and ignoring the soft whispers of fearful workers, Ienzo grabbed the phone that lay on his desk. Dialing a number, he waited as the dialtone sounded. "Hello?"

"I am giving you one chance. Do you wish for your job back?"

"Of course!" Came the person from the other end of the line.

"Then I need you to be at my office in five minutes. We have many things to discuss."

Meanwhile...

"We have a reservation for two, under Lea Matsuyama." Lea stated. The formally dressed waiter smiled at the pair. "Right away, Sir." he said, grabbing two menus off the reservation counter, and leading the couple towards a cosy table in the corner of the restaurant. A single candle lay in the center of the table, the flame gently illuminating the relatively dark corner. "Ladies first." Lea said, pulling the chair out for Relena. As she smiled and took her seat, Lea handed her one of the menus. "So, what dish do you wish to have, Madam Relena?" he said jokingly in a faux, formal voice. Relena laughed. "Well, Sir Lea, I would like a vegetable salad." "Right away, Madam." Lea said, before calling a waiter over. "My lovely date here would like a vegetable salad, and I will have the chicken." "Of course Sir." The waiter said, taking down their order, before collecting the menus and disappearing into the restaurant kitchen. "Well here we are." Lea said, chuckling lightly. "Indeed." Relena said in agreement, a faint smile concealing her nervousness, which had been her primary feeling since her evening with Lea began. She wondered if Ienzo had found out she was missing yet.

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Marusha wrapped a bouquet of red roses with a ribbon, presenting it to the woman in front of him who then paid promptly and left. The man sighed, slumping down on his chair at the florist shop's counter, before opening a book he had been reading, ironically titled "Why Won't She Notice Me?" by Elaeus X. Opening the book to the second chapter, where he had stopped, he read the first few lines. "Is it because I'm too ugly?" the first line read. Marusha rolled his eyes. He did have customers to the florist's wanting to date him, but all he cared about was Relena. So he didn't reckon he was "ugly" in any manner. Just as he was about to turn the page, the soft tinkle of a bell announced that there was yet another customer.

Sighing once more, Marusha stood up and spoke in a well-practiced manner. "Welcome to Tokyo Florist, may I be of assistance?" The tone of his voice clearly hid his dismay that the customer was not Relena. After all, why would Relena want to visit a florist? She didn't need flowers. Lea would have given her plenty of those. Marusha made a mental note to himself never to give good service to Lea, should he ever visit this florist shop. He turned to glance again at the familiar customer who had just entered the shop.

A tall, well-dressed thin man with long and pale brown hair stepped in, a test tube clutched in his right hand for no particular reason. "Hello, Marusha." he said in a bored, drawling manner. "I want to acquire a bouquet of blue flowers. I don't suppose you have those, do you." Marusha was insulted. This was the famous Tokyo Florist. "Of course we do." he said, before grabbing a nearby bunch of mixed flowers of various shades of blue, and handing it to the man in front of him. "It has been quite awhile, Marusha." The man chuckled. "Yes, Even." The florist said bitterly. "Who are the flowers for, anyway?" "Well it's for a special someone. You wouldn't know who she is, anyhow. However, I must bid you farewell now, Marusha. My date is waiting." "But aren't crimson roses better for a special someone?" Even turned for a moment. "I have always found the hue of ice intriguing, Marusha. And apparently, so does my future wife. Goodbye." And with that, Even paid and left the store, leaving a forlorn Marusha feeling even worse than usual. Apparently, Even, otherwise known as Vexen or 'The Old Man' when he was in the Organization, had a girlfriend, a special someone to treasure. Marusha didn't even feel it as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

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Relena hurried back into the Apple store, hoping that she wasn't to be noticed. She had left her documents and other such items on her table, and needed to get them before she went home that day. The store was deserted of course, this being after closing time. But she couldn't help thinking about her date with Lea, a smile gracing her features as she thought about that evening's events. Unlocking the back door, she walked into the store and switched on the lights, hoping to get her things and back out in a few minutes' time. She wanted to be home soon, for Lea said he'd call sometime later. She couldn't wait.

"Relena."

A voice startled her, snapping Relena out of her dreamy state. She turned around, and her eyes widened at the sight of Ienzo, his arms folded just like they had been every day when he had been a member of the nefarious Organization XIII. He stood in a dark corner of the store, the shadows casting over his clothes, making it seem like he was in his black coat once again, his visible eye now holding no emotion but a glint of menacingness. It was like a reflection of who he had once been. The Cloaked Schemer, Zexion. Relena stood there stiffly, clutching the office documents in her arms, her eyes pleading for Ienzo to change back. To return to what he had once been since the day he had regained his heart. But the look in his eyes did not shift. He kept his steely gaze on her as he emerged from the shadowy corner and spoke to her, the tone of his voice edged with bitterness and contempt.

"You defied me, Relena."

Relena did not reply.

"I cared about you. I was your friend. Why do you do this? If you continue like this, I have no other choice..."

Ienzo's voice faltered, and he gave a quiet sob for a moment, his gaze diverted to the ground, before it fleetingly returned to her face. A sense of dread overcame Relena, as she backed away slowly, feeling somewhat paralyzed with fear. The fear of someone who had once been a good associate, and her loyal confidante. "Y-you have n-no other choice but to do what?" Relena managed to choke out, the tension in the air building rapidly as the two stared at each other, with mixtures of heated rage, fear, and distrust. Why had it all come to this? Relena was confused. She held out her hand in a gesture of friendship. "Ienzo, don't do this. We're still friends. Don't do this now...I don't know your reasons, but I don't hate you." Relena said slowly, hoping to calm the distraught Ienzo.

Ienzo did not reach out his own hand, but continued to stare at her. "Then, if I take your hand, will you not associate with Lea?" He asked. A tinge of hope was now evident in his voice. "What do you have against us?" Relena replied sharply, offended. Ienzo withdrew the hand he had been longing to reach out to her. "You will still see him then." he said angrily. "Then it is now decided. You leave me no choice. I am sorry, Relena. But I am glad that I have taken this step before you betrayed my trust." And with that, Ienzo left the store, turning the lights off. Relena was left, standing alone, in the darkness. She could not move as the tears started to flow.


End file.
